Filming at Indianapolis’s St. Elmo Steak House (Ron Swanson, you ol’ devil), Parks and Recreation ran into the one and only Newt Gingrich. Showrunner Mike Schur “quickly huddled with the episode’s writer and director to incorporate Gingrich into the script,” reports the Indy Star. “It was a completely random chance,” Schur said. “But you can’t pass up on an opportunity like that.” Gingrich will now follow recent appearances by Vice-President Joe Biden and Sens. John McCain, Olympia Snowe, and Barbara Boxer. Rob Lowe was characteristically thrilled, tweeting, “Latest surprise drop by on set: Speaker Newt Gingrich! So we made up a scene and put him in!! #AllHappeningInIndy.” Jonathan Banks playing papa to Ben Wyatt has gone so well — can Newt just be Chris Traeger’s dad?
